Forgotten Things, Beautiful Views | Kenji Kumasaka (Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)
2005.08.29
Let's look at Mt. Fuji from the walkway connecting the Omicron and Iota buildings. Of course, it has to be the view from the fifth floor. The time to do this is just before sunset. Against a crimson sky, a jet-black Mt. Fuji stands tall, reaching for the heavens, its base spreading out thick and elegant. But come to think of it, I haven't seen that view for about 10 years. There might be an obstruction now. After all, my office is on the fourth floor, so I can't expect such a view. That one-floor difference makes a world of difference.
Late at night, the best thing is to view the entirety of SFC from the Omega building, looking across Gulliver Pond (Kamoike) from the outer loop road. Taking a slight detour by car to pass by there on my way home always puts me in a good mood. It will probably make you think, "Maybe I'll work a little longer." But once you return to your own office, you'll regret it, as it's just a messy, microscopic world. It's better to just go home after all.
When I'm gazing blankly outside from the faculty lounge during lunch, I'm suddenly struck by the richness of the green nature and moved by what a beautiful view it is. After 15 years, the trees have grown splendidly, and I think this campus is beautiful just for being surrounded by such vibrant greenery. But after 45 minutes, I hurry back to my room and give myself a pep talk, "Alright, back to work." Oh, well.
As I climb the stone steps straight ahead and look up at the view leading to the Media Center, I'm overwhelmed by the powerful presence of the SFC buildings. However, the width of the stone steps is slightly off from a person's natural stride, so I always have to look down to walk safely, meaning I can only glance up for a moment. Perhaps that's why the view exudes such dignity. A clever trick? Let's be careful not to fall.
The views at SFC, whether looking out from within or looking at it from the outside, are quite something. They are beautiful and elegant, solemn and magnificent, rich and full of dignity. It's a strange thought that what supports such views is a dynamic, and yet rather messy, research life. Forgetting the bird's-eye view, I'm so busy engrossed in my own research that I have no time to be moved by such sights. But we must not forget: it is because of these intellectual activities that the views of SFC are so powerful and beautiful.
Between the junior and senior high school building and the graduate school building, just a little outside the SFC campus boundary, there is a small shrine called Sengen Shrine. It's a slightly different world there, and you should go to pray if you have a wish. This January, I went to pray for an increase in the number of applicants to the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies—though honestly, it was a desperate plea to halt the declining trend. Amazingly, we achieved the feat(?) of a 100-person increase over last year. I became convinced that this is the place to go when all else fails.
(Date of publication: 2005/08/29)